Overhead track and lock assembly for showcases



United States Patent 3,401,994 OVERHEAD TRACK AND LOCK ASSEMBLY FOR SHOWCASES Arthur G. Black, 1049 E. 65th St., Inglewood, Calif. 90302 Filed Mar. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 626,093 8 Claims. (Cl. 312-138) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A showcase having bypassing sliding doors supported by overhead tracks and locked by a vertically oriented lock carried by the rear top rail of the showcase at approximately waist level and operable from above the top rail. The lock carries stops respectively engageable with hangers for the bypassing sliding doors to prevent opening of such doors.

Background of the invention The invention contemplates a showcase, or other structure, having a top rail, preferably at the rear of the structure, provided with spaced, parallel, upwardly facing, overhead tracks for bypassing sliding doors. More particularly, the bypassing sliding doors are provided at their upper edges or ends with hangers respectively provided with rollers engageable with the overhead tracks. The tracks are preferably provided by track members which are generally hook-like in over-all cross section, and which may either face each other laterally, or face in the same lateral direction.

Summary of the invention The primary object of the invention is to provide a showcase, or other structure, of the foregoing general nature having a vertically oriented lock carried by and operable from above the top rail, for locking the bypassing sliding doors in their closed positions, the top rail preferably being somewhat below waist level so that the lock is readily accessible.

More particularly, an important object of the invention is to provide stops carried by the lock and respectively movable from retracted positions into extended positions wherein they are engageable with the hangers for the bypassing sliding doors to prevent opening of the doors.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a cam lock having a cam which is rotatable between retraeted and extended positions and which provides the stops for the door hangers.

Still another object is to provide a key-operated lock the upper end of which is at least substantially flush with the upper surface of the top rail.

The foregoing substantially flush relationship between the upper end of the lock and the upper surface of the top rail is the preferred one since the lock in no way interferes with normal use of the top of the showcase, as when sliding merchandise onto or off of the showcase top. However, as a practical matter, it may be necessary in many installations, in order to minimize the entry into the lock of dirt, materials used for cleaning the showcase top, and the like, to provide the upper end of the lock with a crown which projects slightly above the upper surface of the top rail. The provision of such a construction is also an object of the invention.

Still another object is to provide a top rail having horizontal flanges, below the upper surface of the top rail, which receive the lock therebetween, the lock having means thereon on opposite sides of these flanges, and

3,401,994 Patented Sept. 17, 1968 ice clamping such flanges therebetween, for securing the lock to the top rail.

A further object is to provide channel-shaped overhead tracks having side walls, of substantially the same height, for spacing the hanger rollers away from other portions of the top rail. With this construction, free-running rollers are assured and friction, noise, and the like, are minimized.

An additional object of the invention is to provide the top rail with horizontal flanges spaced above the tracks a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the rollers to prevent the rollers from jumping the tracks. A related object is to so shape the top rail that the rollers may be disengaged from the' tracks by tilting the doors relative to the tracks.

The foregoing objects, advantages, features and results of the present invention, together with various other objects, advantages, features and results thereof which will be evident to those skilled in the showcase and related arts in the light of this disclosure, may be achieved with the exemplary embodiments of the invention described in detail hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

Description of the drawing In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary isometric view of a showcase which embodies the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated by the arrowed line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated by the arrowed line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated by the arrowed line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the arrowed line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but illustrating another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the arrowed line 77 of FIG. 6.

Detailed description of the invention Fragmentarily shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 of the drawing is a showcase 10 having a frame which includes as one of its components a top rear rail 12. The latter preferably is an extrusion having a top wall 14. Depending from op posite longitudinal edges of the top wall 14 are two track members 16 which are generally hook-like in over-all cross section, and which, in the particular embodiment under consideration, face laterally inwardly toward each other.

The track members 16 respectively provide at their lower edges spaced, parallel, upwardly facing, overhead tracks 18 for bypassing sliding doors 20. More particularly, the bypassing sliding doors 20 are provided at their upper edges or ends with hangers 22 respectively having longitudinally spaced rollers 24 engageable with the overhead tracks 18.

The overhead tracks 18 are channel shaped and have side walls of substantially the same height. One side Wall of each track 18 is formed by a longitudinal shoulder 26 projecting laterally from the depending portion of the corresponding hook-like track member 16. The other side wall of each track 18 is formed by a longitudinal. flange 28 at the extremity of the hook portion of the corresponding track member 16. The shoulders 26 and the flanges 28 forming the side walls of the tracks 18 laterally restrain the rollers 24 to prescribed paths. More particularly, the shoulders 26 hold the rollers 24 away from the depending portions of the track members 16 so that the rollers cannot rub thereagainst. This minimizes friction and noise, which are important features.

Just above the rollers 24 are integral horizontal longitudinal flanges 30 which face inwardly toward each other and which keep the rollers from lifting off the tracks 18 far enough to jump the tracks, which is an important feature. However, it will be noted that if removal of the doors 20 is desired, this can be accomplished by swinging the doors away from vertical far enough to permit the rollers to clear the flanges when the rollers are lifted out of the channel-shaped tracks 18. The doors 20 may be pivoted in this manner upon removal of whatever guide means is used for the lower ends or edges thereof. Such guide means forms no part of the present invention and hence is not shown in the drawing.

As best shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing, the front side of the top rear rail 12 is provided with a horizontal longitudinal flange 32 on which rests one edge of a glass panel 34 forming the top of the showcase 10'. It will be noted that the flange 32 is so located relative to the upper surface of the top wall 14 of the rail 12 that such upper surface and the upper surface of the glass panel 34 are flush with each other. The flange 32 is formed integrally with and projects forwardly from the front track member 16 of the top rear rail 12.

Formed integrally with the track members 16 of the top rear rail 12 below the top wall 14 thereof are two horizontal longitudinal flanges 36 which face laterally inwardly toward each other. These flanges 36 are utilized in securing a lock 38 of the invention to the top rear rail 12 of the showcase 10, as will now be described.

The lock 38 is a key-operated lock of the cam type and is mounted on the top rear rail 12 with a vertical orientation and in such a position that a cam 40 at the lower end thereof is engageable with the door hangers 22 to prevent opening of the doors 20. The lock 38 is disposed in a bore 42 in the top wall 14 of the rail 12, and is located between the flanges 36 on the rail. In the particular construction illustrated, the flanges 36 are provided with a bore 44 therethrough, in alignment with the bore 42, to receive the lock 38.

The lock 38 is provided with an externally threaded portion 46 having diametrally opposed, parallel flats 48. The flatted portion of the lock 38 is received in a complementary opening 50 in a keying member 52 which fits slidably in a longitudinal socket 54 in the rail 12 between the top wall 14 of the rail and the flanges 36 thereof. (The ends of the socket 54 may also receive corresponding prongs of showcase-frame corner connectors similar to those disclosed in my copending application Ser. No. 467,- 468, filed June 28, 1965.) As will be apparent, the keying member 52 prevents rotation of the lock 38 as a retaining nut 56 is threaded onto the portion 46 thereof below the flanges 36.

In the embodiment under consideration, the lock 38 is provided adjacent its upper end with an external annular shoulder 58 which is seated on the upper surface of the keying member 52. With this construction, the lock 38 is secured in place by clamping the mounting flanges 36 between the keying member. 52 and the retaining nut 56.

The upper end of the lock 38, in the embodiment under consideration, is flush with the upper surface of the top wall 14 of the rail 12 so that the lock in no way interferes with use of the top surface of the showcase 10. In other words, it is possible to slide merchandise, for example, off the counter formed by the top surface of the showcase 10 without interference by the lock 38. However, this construction does present one problem in that cleaning compounds, for example, used in cleaning the: top surfaces of the showcase frame can enter the interior of the lock 38 fairly readily to interfere with its operation. In installations where cleaning compounds, or other foreign matter, present a problem, the crowned construction of FIGS. 6 and 7, to be described hereinafter, may be used, even though this construction does provide a slight obstruction.

The cam 40 is simply a rectangular plate which is pivotable between an inoperative, retracted position, FIG. 2,

4 and an operative, extended position, FIGS. 3 and 4. The inoperative or retracted position of the cam 40 corresponds to the unlocked condition of the lock 38, while the extended or operative position thereof corresponds to the locked condition of the lock 38.

When the cam 40 is in its extended position, diagonally opposed edge portions of the cam engage complementary shoulders 60 on the respective hangers 22 to lock the doors 20 in their closed positions, such diagonally opposed edge portions of the cam acting as stops to prevent opening movement of the doors.

Normally, the doors 20 will be in their fully closed positions prior to actuating the lock 38 to rotate the cam 40 into its extended position. However, complete closure of the doors 20 prior to locking them is not essential, it only being necessary that they be substantially closed since, as long as they are near their closed positions, the edges of the cam 40 will engage the shoulders 60 on thedoor hangers 22 to completely close the doors as the lock 38 is actuated to its locked condition.

Shoplifting is a progressively increasing problem and it is quite common for shoplifters to steal relatively small and expensive items from unattended showcases by reaching over the tops of the showcases and lifting the items from the top shelves. Locking the Showcase doors completely eliminates this problem, and virtually completely eliminates other types of thefts. The present invention, by locating the lock 38 vertically so that it is accessible and visible from the top of the showcase 10, has important advantages in minimizing losses from shoplifting, or from other types of thievery. For example, the fact that the lock 38 is accessible from the top of the showcase 10, at a level about or somewhat below waist level, greatly facilitates locking of the showcase whenever it is necessary to leave it unattended. With showcase locks located at the bottoms of the doors, clerks are tempted to dispense with locking the showcases when leaving their stations for short periods because of the difiiculty in reaching such low-level locks. Another and important advantage of the present invention is that, since the lock 38 is visible from the top of the showcase 10, a passing floor-walker can determine at a glance whether a particular showcase is locked. This is impossible with showcases locked from the rear instead of from the top.

Turning now to FIGS. 6 and 7 of the drawing, the embodiment of the invention illustrated therein is very similar to that illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5. Consequently, the various components of the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 will be identified by reference numerals higher by one hundred than the corresponding components of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 5. Further, only the differences will be described.

The principal difference inthe showcase is that the hook-like track members 116 both face in the same lateral direction, viz., forwardly in the particular construction illustrated. The forwardly facing track members 116 are concealed from view from the front of the showcase 110 by a depending fascia 117 formed integrally with the ledge flange 132 for the glass panel 134.

It will be noted that, in order to provide space for the lock 138, it is necessary to mill an opening 139 in the front track member 116. Also, to center the lock 138 laterally in the top wall 114 of the rail 112, it is necessary to make the cam 140 asymmetrical since the door hangers 122 are asymmetrically located, in the lateral direction, relative to the centrally located lock 138.

Another difference in the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 is that the lock is provided at its upper end with an upwardly projecting crown 157 which forms an annular shoulder 158 seatable on the top wall 14. As previously explained, the upwardly projecting crown 157 reduces the possibility of cleaning compounds, or other foreign materials, entering the interior of the lock 138. It will be noted that the lock 138 is secured by clamping the top wall 114 of the rail 112 and the flanges 136 thereof between the upwardly projecting crown 157 and the retaining nut 156.

In all other respects, the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 is identical or substantially identical to that of FIGS. 1 to 5. Consequently, no further description is necessary.

Although exemplary embodiments of the invention have been described in detail herein for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that various Changes, modifications and substitutions may be incorporated in such embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims appearing in the next section of this specification.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a showcase, or the like, the combination of:

(a) a top rail provided with spaced, parallel, upwardly facing, overhead tracks;

(b) hangers for bypassing sliding doors having rollers respectively engageable with said tracks;

(0) a vertically oriented lock carried by said top rail and operable from above said top rail; and

(d) stops carried by said lock and respectively movable from retracted positions into extended positions wherein they are engageable with said hangers to prevent opening of bypassing sliding doors carried by said hangers.

2. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said lock is a cam lock having a cam which is rotatable between retracted and extended positions and which provide said. stops.

3. A combination according to claim 2 wherein said lock is a key-operated lock the upper end of which is located between a level flush with the upper surface of said top rail and a level slightly above the upper surface of said top rail.

4. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said top rail is provided with horizontal flanges receiving said lock therebetween, said lock having means thereon on opposite sides of said flanges, and clamping said flanges therebetween, for securing said lock to said top rail.

5. A combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said tracks are provided by hook-like members which face each other.

6. A combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said tracks are provided by hook-like members which face in the same direction.

7. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tracks are channel shaped and have side walls of substantially the same height.

8. A combination as defined in claim 7 wherein said top rail includes horizontal flanges spaced above said tracks a distance slightly greater than the diameter of said rollers to prevent said rollers from jumping said tracks.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,196,001 4/1940 Vanderveld 95 2,448,748 9/ 1948 Vanderveld. 2,690,585 10/1954 Nordahl 312-138 2,858,408 10/1958 Barroero 312-138 XR BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

J. L. KOHNEN, Assistant Examiner. 

